


Tales of the Pandemic

by aquastellium



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Comfort, Domestic, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28402785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquastellium/pseuds/aquastellium
Summary: Stories of various Haikyuu characters and their S/O throughout the pandemic
Relationships: Ennoshita Chikara/Reader, Hakuba Gao/Reader, Inunaki Shion/Reader, Komori Motoya/Reader, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, Matsukawa Issei/Reader, Meian Shuugo/Reader, Miya Osamu/Reader, Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Ojiro Aran/Reader, Sakusa Kiyoomi/Reader, Shirabu Kenjirou/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 97





	1. The List

**Author's Note:**

> Buy me a coffee? 
> 
> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/regretrograde

someone on tiktok said that Atsumu would be the first on team Japan to get covid and now I can't stop thinking about all the things characters would be doing during the pandemic. majority of this is gonna be light-hearted fluff and domestic life type stuff, including some personal observations i've seen throughout the quarantine and pandemic, but there may be some heavier topics (e.g. agoraphobia, anxiety, loved one catching covid, etc). warnings will be tagged appropriately!

uhhh, disclaimer, i honestly don't know what all Japan did (definitely better than America) for the pandemic, i've done basic research on it, but i honestly don't know the nitty gritty details of their lockdown protocols. below is a list of planned characters that i have ideas for, but idk what order they're gonna go in (minus a few, of course). general time frame is early in the pandemic, when no one realizes how severe covid really is, minus a few that are explicitly stated otherwise

reader, as per usual, is completely gender neutral

will be cross-posted on my tumblr at some point! please feel free to go check me out at [aquastellium](https://aquastellium.tumblr.com/). I'll hopefully be posting random headcanons and stuff that i can't fit into a oneshot.

**Chapters 1-10 (aka the ramifications of Atsumu catching COVID)**

**1.** Shion Inunaki (complete)

 **2.** Gao Hakuba (complete)

 **3.** Sakusa Kiyoomi (complete; chronic illness/pain!reader)

 **4.** Kuroo Tetsuro (complete)

 **5.** Komori Motoya (complete)

6\. Aran Ojiro (in progress)

8\. Osamu Miya (will probably be moved to chapter 2 when completed)

9\. surprise character (in progress)

**chapter 11 onwards**

10\. Oikawa Toru (in progress)

11\. Shugo Meian (in progress)

12\. Konoha Akinori

Shirabu Kenjiro

Matsukawa Issei (i, ii, & iii [ft. Makki])

Ennoshita Chikara


	2. Bets (Shion Inunaki x Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and your husband made some bets on who would catch COVID first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wish the msby black jackal members had more character development bc Inunaki is v pretty and i just think he's neat. anyway, i absolutely think he bullies Atsumu along with Sakusa and is super chill with the newer members of the team. just a light-hearted character over all.
> 
> rated: mature
> 
> cw: sexual themes, nudity, mentions of vomiting

“Mmmm, morning, baby.”

Shion’s gruff morning voice called you from your sleep, your face nuzzled into the crook of his neck, your naked bodies a tangled mess underneath your covers. You blinked hard multiple times, making out the little purple marks on your husband’s neck from your previous activities. Damn, you should have gotten dressed into _at least_ a shirt. Goosebumps ran up your back, and you found yourself curling in closer to him as he laced his fingers through your hair.

“Morning, space heater.”

A groggy chuckle escaped Shion’s lips as he pressed a lazy peck on your forehead. “Aw, is that all I am to you?”

“Mhm.”

“Am I at least a cute space heater?”

“The cutest space heater I know, at least.”

“Hmm, I’ll take that title.” Tears welled up in the corner of the libero’s eyes as he yawned, resting his chin on the top of your head. “What time is it?”

“Mmm, dunno.” You groaned, reaching your arm around you to check your phone. Squinting your eyes, you barely processed the numerous text messages, group chats, and email notifications on your phone. “It’s 9… Jeez, we can’t just really sleep in, can we.”

“That’s adulthood for you,” Shion groaned, untangling himself from you and slipping out of bed with another yawn. “At least we’ve got a break today.”

You huffed, wrapping your naked form tighter in the blankets as your personal space heater abandoned you. You couldn’t complain, though, as you stared at your husband’s nude form. Muscles tight from years of volleyball, broad shoulders drool worthy just by themselves. Shion must have felt your eyes watching him as he playfully shook his ass at you while slipping a pair of boxers on.

“I’m gonna grab some water. You need anything from the kitchen?”

“Hmmm, I’ll take some of the fruit tea and water, if you don’t mind.”

“Got it.”

As your husband left for the kitchen, you turned your attention back to the wall of notifications you had woken up to. It made sense to have had so many notifications. COVID regulations were starting to roll out as the situation escalated in Japan and policies were made. Working for a professional athletic team, you honestly hadn’t expected to see these policies enacted so quickly. Already, the team had hired out a public health consultant to figure out what steps needed to be taken to responsibly minimize the spread. This immediately resulted in your entire office being given a week off while arrangements were made to make all work from at-home. Apparently this policy applied to the team as well, given your husband wasn’t up at the ass crack of dawn running for the day.

Surprisingly, the messages _weren’t_ from your work. They were from the _numerous_ group messages you were part of. You see, when news broke out about the pandemic, your office made… bets. To see who in the Black Jackals would catch COVID first. It was an innocent bet, really, but you somehow ended up in about four different group chats, including some group chats with _Olympic athletes._ Between all these various group chats, there was one thing in common.

Everyone was betting Atsumu Miya would get COVID first. Well, minus Meian and one of the Olympic athletes. Aran, was it?

The news seemed to hit you the moment Shion walked in, wide eyed as he carried the drinks in on a platter, phone in hand. You stared at him, mute for a moment.

“...Atsumu has COVID.”

Shion sputtered in laughter as he realized you two had said it in the exact same moment. “Well, looks like Meian owes me onigiri.” He quickly moved his way to the bed, placing your tea and water on the nightstand next to you. “Jeez, it’s literally been a _week_ and he already has it. Does he have any symptoms?”

You shook your head, scrolling through your phone. “Doesn’t seem like it, no. He was tested as a precaution from an exposure.”

“Sucks for him, damn.” Shion quickly flopped back on the bed, curling an arm around you as he rested his head on your shoulder. You peered over at the group chat message.

_S: Good morning, Meian :)_

_M: Shut it._

_O: I’ll take 3 miso._

_A: Ohhh, does Onigiri Miya still have the spicy cucumber? I’ll take 3 of those._

_S: Could you get a sesame one for me and two salt kombu for [Y/N]?_

_M: …_

You giggled and pecked Shion on the nose. “Thanks for thinking about me, babe.”

Your husband simply hummed in approval as he curled up closer next to you. For the next thirty minutes or so, the two of you took care of your social media, communicating and confirming with others what all had gone down. Being a libero on a division 1 team, your husband knew just about all the liberos on the other teams, including the ones who had been picked for team Japan. So, it was unusual for Shion to get a message from an unknown number.

_?: is this shion from the black jackals?_

_S: Who is this? How did you get this number?_

_?: [video attached]_

_?: suna from team japan. i heard from komori about your team’s bets. have fun._

“Oh… Oh my god, babe, look.” Shion’s chest shook from suppressed laughter as he shoved his phone in your face, throwing his body over yours.

Thank god you had decent reactions, or else your morning tea would have been spewed all over your husband’s hair. A choked, heinous fit of laughter erupted from your mouth, your chest and throat immediately burning. Shion wasn’t any better, tears streaming down from his face, choking on his own spit. If you weren’t curled up in a fetal position from laughing so hard, you would have given him a few hard smacks on the back, but you were a _bit_ incompacitated at the moment. Thankfully he didn’t die ( _that_ would have been embarrassing, and you weren’t quite sure if you could convince the police of the truth), and he managed to settle down after sipping down a glass of water.

On the phone screen in front of you, a video of _the_ world-renowned, number one bachelor, number one playboy, get-in-anyone’s-pants, Olympian Atsumu Miya, shaking his ass to Megan thee Stallion, hands pressed up against the lockers in what you presumed was team Japan’s locker room. Well, if you defined ‘shaking his ass’ as senselessly throwing his hips side-to-side and wiggling practically his entire body with absolutely no rhythm, that is. An image of a penguin waddling across an iceberg entered your head, and you immediately erupted into a harder fit of laughter.

“Oh my god, he looks like a _penguin.”_

Shion sputtered, spit going across his phone screen as he fell into an even harder fit of laughter. At this point, your vision was starting to darken at the corner of your vision, tears streaming down your face as you were forced to put the phone down on the nightstand next to you. Composing yourself, you looked over at your husband, who had bolted out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

“I’m gonna puke.”

It definitely wasn’t the first time that one of you had puked from laughing so hard at some stupid shit, and you couldn’t help but laugh weakly as you heard your husband’s wretching from the bathroom. Your relationship had been built on laughter and barbs towards each other, starting with your office job in the MSBY Black Jackal social media department five years ago. 

You’d _just_ started your job, fresh out of college with your MBA, and you were practically shaking in your boots on your first day. Unbeknownst to you, you’d caught the attention of the teams’ libero, who quickly waltzed over to you and made a light hearted joke, immediately putting you at ease for the rest of the day. Over the next year, the two of you exchanged jokes, passing compliments, and were practically glued at the hip outside of the office. It never occurred to the both of you that you were mutually interested in each other until Meian yelled at you to get a room one day during practice. And Meian was, of course, the ugly sobbing best man for your wedding.

“Fuck.” Your husband’s voice was rough after he stepped out of the bath, face pale as he took out an expo marker and made a single mark under his name on the ‘puking wall of shame’ whiteboard. “Jesus Christ, I wasn’t expecting that this early in the morning.”

You giggled, passing him the glass of water he had gotten you. “No kissing until you brush your teeth…. Don’t pout at me, that’s disgusting!”

“You’re _so_ mean to me, [F/N].” You giggled, watching your husband gratefully take the water and gulp it down. “Hmmm, I should send Atsumu a video of me shaking my ass. Show off a bit… I know _you’d_ like the show.” Your husband found your neck, nipping playfully as his warm breath ghosted over your throat. You’d, perhaps, been turned on if his breath didn’t smell faintly like vomit.

“Oh my god, _please_ brush your teeth.” You fake gagged over the stench, playfully pinching your nose and wafting your free hand in front of you. You couldn’t lie, the prospect of getting a show from him was… tempting, but you weren’t about to admit that. At least until he brushed his teeth.

“I’ll brush my teeth _if_ you take a video of me… what is it, twerking? I want to rub it in Atsumu’s face.”

“I-oh my god, you just _puked_ and you want to make a deal with me?” You dramatically sighed, flopping back in bed as you pulled your comforter up, realizing your naked form would be exposed to Shion’s entire team if you didn’t. “Fine. But I get to save it on my phone.”

“I mean, you can always ask for a show when you want one, babe. Or is this for my away games? That’s kinky.” Your face erupted bright red, earning a snort of laughter from Shion as he stepped into your bathroom. “Married for three years and you still blush like a virgin.”

“Oh my god, _shut up_.”

“Nope.” Toothbrush in mouth, Shion stepped out, looking around the room, scratching his chin with his free hand. “Hmm, where should I take it? In front of the closet?” He jutted a thumb out, drawing your attention towards your shared closet.

“I dunno, I’ve never taken twerking videos.”

“Shame. Hm, yeah, this should be sturdy enough.” Like a seasoned pro, Shion bent over, hands on his knees, toothbrush dangling loosely out of his mouth. You gulped, taking in your husband’s half-lidded gaze and lazy smirk as he stared back at you. “Ready for this?”

Pulling the bed sheets tight to make sure none of his teammates got a view of your nude form, you nodded at your husband as you pressed the record button. Even though you had been out with your husband to a few bars and clubs in your time, you didn’t expect him to be good at twerking. By the end of the segment, your mouth was gaping wide open, eyes wide as you reconsidered everything you knew about your husband. This only earned a choked laugh from your husband as he grabbed the phone from you.

“And… sent. Now, where were we?” Unceremoniously, Shion placed his toothbrush in your empty water glass and flung his leg over you, straddling your waist. Immediately, your face was bright red as you stared at your husband. 

“Uhhh, don’t you want to see what they say first?” you stammered out, face going red as Shion pinned his hands above you.

“Mmmm, later, they won’t be up until later this morning.” Quickly, his lips found yours, your mouth greeted with fresh minty toothpaste. “I’ve got other things on my mind right now.”

**Bonus i**

_S: Hey, Atsumu. Heard you couldn’t shake your ass._

_S: [video attached]_

_A: WHERE DID YOU GET THAT_

_H: LOL ATSUMU_

_M: INUNAKI_

_S: [video attached]_

_S: It’s all in the ankles, Atsumu :)_

_B: :o can you teach me, Inu-san?_

_KS has left the group chat_

_H: I can teach you Bokuto!_

_M: Someone re-add Sakusa, please. It’s too early for me to be dealing with this._

**Bonus ii**

Ahh, the loser walk of shame. Or maybe it was the stand of shame? Either way, Meian found himself bundled up in front of Onigiri Miya, masked, mentally preparing himself to get his team’s orders. Being the captain of his team, he had _wanted_ to believe that Atsumu wouldn’t get it first, so he bet against the rest of the team.

Now, he was paying for it. Literally.

“Welcome to the store… Oh, Meian, hello. Ya here for your order pick-up?”

Meian could only groan as he stepped into the door, immediately greeted by Osamu. The captain had vaguely wondered if he had been with his brother recently, and was a bit shocked to see he was still working behind the front counter.

“Yes, I am” Meian shuffled up to the counter, pulling out his wallet for his order delivery. Thankfully, all the workers were properly masked and taking the proper precautions. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a small group of people at a table. “You talk to your brother recently?”

“Nah, I’m not part of the exposure list if that’s what yer worried about. He’s been too busy with training to visit.” The onigiri order was quickly shoved onto the counter. Osamu’s eyebrows lifted lazily as he looked at the receipt, looking back up at Meian. “Ya lose a bet?”

Oh god. How was he supposed to explain to Osamu that the entire team had made bets on Atsumu getting COVID first. A drop of sweat trickled down the captain’s forehead as he stared intensely at his order. Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.

Meian’s thoughts were interrupted by Osamu jutting a thumb out towards the group sitting at the table. “Yer not the only one, don’t worry. I’m owed a few bets.”

 _Well,_ Meian thought, releasing a breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding. He looked over at the group, noting Aran sitting at the table and dipped his head in respect to the athlete. _At least I’m not the only one who's lost faith in others._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buy me a coffee?
> 
> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/regretrograde


	3. Chicken Dumpling Soup (Gao Hakuba x reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gao has covid and you get to take care of your 6'8" boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't wait for this 6'8" dork to be animated. lowkey convinced he and hoshiumi share a single brain cell when they're together tbh
> 
> also definitely wasn't watching markiplier's stream when i wrote this and decided on chicken dumpling soup
> 
> cw: gao has covid, nothing graphic is described

“Babe, do we have any dumpling soup?” 

“Osamu-san’s partner dropped some off this morning for you. Would you like some?”

“Yes please.”

The entire situation was surreal, really. One day, everyone on Japan’s Olympic volleyball team was sitting around practice, getting warmed up, when Miya Atsumu suddenly got a call saying that he had tested positive for COVID. And  _ no one  _ knew how he managed to catch it. Literally,  _ no one knew _ . If you looked at his bluetooth records on his phone and tracked his GPS, you would have seen the setter hadn’t left his apartment  _ at all _ , minus when they had in-person practice. ‘Well, he  _ must  _ have gotten it from one of his teammates or someone working on the team,’ one would propose.

And you’d be wrong. Because up until yesterday, when your long-term boyfriend Gao Hakuba finally got his positive test back, Atsumu was the only one on the entire team that had gotten it. It was like the virus was absolutely dead set on infecting Atsumu and absolutely no one else on the team.

And so, that’s how you found yourself in your current predicament, quarantined for two weeks, taking care of your 6’8”, fever-ridden boyfriend.

“Ow, shit, shit, shit, hot, hot.” You recoiled from the bowl, frantically shaking your hands. Not the smartest move, and definitely not the last time you would do it. Wrapping a towel around the bottom of the bowl, you quickly scurried to the living room, grumbling “hot, hot, hot, hot, hot” all the way there.

Had your boyfriend not been sick, you would have laughed at him as you walked into the living room. Blanket wrapped around his hulking form, clutched tightly by the hands you called home, sat 6’8” Olympian Gao Hakuba, face pale and eyes bleary as he watched you walk into the living room. A sharp pang of guilt jabbed at your chest as you settled down on the couch next to him, pressing your hand to his forehead out of nervous habit.

“... babe, your hand is too hot to check my temperature.”

Oh, yeah, that was a fair point. You  _ were  _ just cursing over how hot the bowl of soup was.

“I… yeah, you’re right.” Gao’s soft giggle was enough to put you at ease as you shoved a spoon full of soup in his face. “Open up, goob.”

Your relationship with Gao was one of giggles, smiles, and gentle moments. More than once, the two of you had found yourselves doubled over on the gym floor, crying and screaming from laughter from some stupid thing you had done. Hirugami even went as far as to claim the two of you shared a single brain cell. But everyone knew it was all a show.

You see, on the outside, Gao Hakuba was an  _ incredibly  _ confident man. His looks, his height, his volleyball skills. He practically had every right to be as confident as he was. Fending off flirtatious passerbys was a daily chore for you. Under all that confident bluster, though, was a side that only you were privy to see. A quiet, shy boy that stumbled over his words whenever he tried to compliment you, blushed bright like a tomato when you complimented him, and wanted nothing more than to be dotted on.

_ Did  _ the two of you share a single brain cell when you two were together? Yeah. Would you drag yourself through hell before losing your relationship? Also yeah.

“Babe, I really want to kiss you.”

“You literally have a mouth full of food, Hakuba. I can’t do that.”

“And I want to cuddle.”

“Okay, we can cuddle after--”

“But I’m  _ sick  _ and I don’t want to get you sick.”

The look on Gao’s face was absolutely pathetic, his eyes bleary as he jutted his bottom lip out in an overdramatic pout. You were sure the look on your face was  _ absolutely  _ gobsmacked, and you wondered where the thermometer was. Had his fever gotten worse?

“Hakuba, I  _ live  _ with you. I’ve literally been here with you for the entire exposure period.”

“And? I may get you sick.”

“I’ve probably already caught it and am asymptomatic.”

“ _ But what if I get you- _ ”

You pushed yourself up with your knees, shoving your lips against your boyfriend before he could finish his sentence. The faint taste of ginger and other aromatic herbs danced on your lips, your hand quickly finding Gao’s jaw. A heavy breath escaped through his nose, and you could feel his entire body relax underneath your touch.

Lingering for a moment, you pulled away, resting your forehead against his. “You’re adorable, but you already know that right?”

“Mhm.” Gao’s lips quickly found yours again, his massive hand tilting your mouth slightly, giving extra leverage to kiss you more deeply. After a moment, he pulled away, but not before pecking you on the nose. “I’m too tired for anything else, sorry.”

A small giggle escaped your lips as you fell back on the couch, taking another spoonful of the soup. “I don’t think the doctor would recommend sex while having COVID, babe. You want to finish your soup and watch Ponyo?”

“Yes please.”

And so you continued spoon feeding your boyfriend, your boyfriend almost choking a few times as he eagerly scarfed down the scalding soup. Each time he choked, you scolded him like an overly eager child eating their favorite meal, but you couldn’t hold back a smile over his excitement just to cuddle. Up until this moment, he hadn’t experienced the loss of taste, but after burning his mouth so many times, you were absolutely certain he wouldn’t be tasting for a couple of days.

You didn’t even worry about putting the empty dish in the dishwasher when he finished, electing to put in on the floor next to you. Wordlessly, you laid back on the couch, Gao quickly finding your chest to snuggle up against. Your fingers mindlessly ran through your boyfriend’s hair as he settled into your chest, your free hand scrolling through Netflix to flip on Ponyo.

“I love you so much, baby.” Gao’s voice was muffled as he spoke, pressing his face into your chest. “Like…. So, so much…. Yeah.”

You giggled softly, pressing a soft peck on his forehead. “I love you too, baby. How about we sleep for now, okay? I’ll wake you up every once in a while to check up on you.”

A soft snore was the only response you got as Gao’s breathing fell into a steady, rhythmic pattern. All you could do was hum quietly to the sound of Ponyo in the background, resting a hand on his back to anxiously check his breathing. Even though weight of your 6’8” boyfriend nearly crushed your lungs, you wouldn’t dare take away his safe haven for a single moment in time.


	4. Sakusa Plans Atsumu's Murder (Sakusa Kiyoomi x chronic pain! reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakusa plans on murdering Atsumu if he gets his precious fiance sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> personal headcanon based purely off of me having chronic illness: Sakusa would be the perfect partner for someone with a chronic illness.
> 
> also headcanon: Sakusa suffers from EDS and was sick frequently as a kid, resulting in his habits as an adult
> 
> part 2 coming soon!
> 
> Cw: none needed

_ S: Atsumu _

_ A: Yes, Omi? _

_ S: If you got my fiance sick, I’m killing you. _

_ A: Can u feel bad for me at least once in ur life??? I have covid!!! _

_ A: Wait _

_ A: YOU HAVE A FIANCE _

Muting the text message thread, Sakusa placed his phone down on the table, right next to your right side up phone. _ Your results should be in before noon. _ The hospital’s words swam through his mind as he sat at your kitchen table, face dug into his hands as he recalled the time he had  _ just  _ seen on his phone. Ten AM. The results could be within the next minute, or the results could be within the next two hours. Would it be a phone call or a text message?  _ If the test is positive, we’ll be calling you for contact tracing and monitoring purposes. If it’s negative, we’ll be sending you a text. _ Eyes opened or closed? Did he want to hear the notification first, or did he want to see the notification first? Which would be less painful?

Three days since Atsumu received his positive COVID test. Upon learning the news, Sakusa  _ immediately  _ boarded himself up the spare room, refusing to be in the same room as you until his test came back. The precautions went as far as refusing to be in the same room as you and disinfecting everything the moment he was finished in a room. Temperatures were taken twice daily, symptoms monitored and logged in a journal he kept by his makeshift bed. 

Everything was going perfectly fine. Until you came down with fever, severe body aches, and a chill.

That was the fun thing about chronic illnesses. Flare-ups tended to look  _ exactly _ like COVID.

And God forbid, if Sakusa was the one to have gotten you sick, he  _ really  _ wasn’t sure if he could ever forgive himself.

Your relationship went all the way back to primary school, the time when Sakusa was an incredibly sickly child. Seemingly catching a cold every week, two or three hospital visits a year for some severe infection. The constant illnesses never deterred you, however. Anytime he missed classes or wound up in the hospital, you took it upon yourself to waltz right up to his front door and spend the day teaching you the material. Anything he didn’t understand, you would patiently sit there the entire day, sometimes accidentally staying for supper, just to explain the material to you. One day, he innocently asked you why you worked so hard to explain the material. You simply responded that you were friends, and you missed seeing him in class.

Looking back, that minor exchange was  _ probably  _ the first time he started developing a small crush on you. Now, at the age of 24, he occasionally wondered if you even remembered telling him that.

Things suddenly seemed to reverse in middle school. Joining volleyball and taking care of himself, Sakusa suddenly was no longer the sickly little boy that everyone knew. He became popular, well-known in his classes for his volleyball skills. Suddenly  _ everyone  _ knew his name and suddenly, he found himself being bombarded by multiple people a day (much to his chagrin).

Despite all the people fishing for his attention, he still managed to notice how frequently you missed classes during the last year of middle school. He noticed how infrequently you texted him, sometimes taking days to return his concerned texts. Eventually, he went to Komori to ask for advice, who suggested he stop by your home to check up on you. Sakusa  _ actually  _ took his advice for once, showing up at your front door.

That’s the day he learned how he had practically swapped lives with you, and secretly wondered if this was some cruel form of karma.

_ “If you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you, it’s because I didn’t want to lose you as a friend…“  _ The words you had spoken to him back in the third year of middle school had been seared into his brain, the mental image of you too scared to make eye contact practically breaking an emotion somewhere deep in his heart he didn’t realize existed.  _ “I… I care too much about you, Kiyoomi-kun. I don’t want that to happen.” _

The moment those words tumbled out of your mouth, like a piece of music, every single one of his thoughts towards you had changed. You had never once asked for pity, never asked for apologies from people. In fact, you got  _ mad  _ at anyone that tried to give you condolences, often ranting to him about how you just wished people would stop pitying you. You wanted people to understand you, to help you, not want their pity.

He admired how strong you were.

Suddenly, he started stumbling on his words when you were around, missing his serves when you watched during practice. Researching medical remedies, bringing you meals anytime you were out of school with a flare-up, teaching you any lessons you had missed. He rationalized his dedication to helping you as knowing you weren’t  _ contagious  _ sick but rather had a bad stroke of luck during the last year of middle school. He just wanted to help you, not pity you. 

That didn’t rationalize his sudden nervousness around you, which he was  _ well  _ aware of and annoyed by.

Komori, of course, was the first to peg those feelings as a crush. Sakusa, not wanting to ruin the friendship the two of you had, refused to act on it until a single reckless moment his second year of high school. You had shown up for the spring nationals tournament to surprise Sakusa with a good luck charm, offering it to him right before their quarterfinals game. Maybe it had been his exhaustion, maybe it had been what Komori had said to him the week before (“I swear, if you don’t ask [F/N] out, I’m just… Ack, I don’t know what I’ll do, but it  _ will _ be bad!”), Sakusa honestly couldn’t tell you what caused him to act so recklessly that day. Seeing you stood there in front of him at the nationals tournament, he draped his track jacket over your shoulders, placed a kiss on your forehead, accepted the good luck charm, and walked off to start his warm-ups.

(After that, captain Iizuna ended up having to make sure you were still breathing while Komori rummaged around for a thermometer to make sure Sakusa hadn’t come down with a fever. But to be completely honest, neither you nor Sakusa remembered that part of the story, and the both of you were somewhat convinced that Komori had made that part up.)

The two of you fell into a relationship following that tournament, practically living with each other for the rest of high school. There was no honeymoon phase, no nervous feelings. Everything was natural. Moving into a shared one bedroom apartment immediately after high school, getting engaged during Sakusa’s last year of college. It was comfortable, domestic, and simple. You two were each other’s lighthouses on the ocean’s coastline, standing strong through hurricanes and whatever life threw at the two of you. 

It was  _ safe. _ And neither of you could ask for more.

A buzz on the table brought Sakusa back from his nostalgia filled thoughts, and a chill suddenly ran down his spine. His body practically felt paralyzed as he continued to hold his face in his hands, listening for a longer tone. A longer tone never came.

So whose negative test result was it?

Peeking through his fingers, Sakusa noted the message was for him. Negative. A breath of relief escaped his lungs.  _ Okay, [F/N] works as a freelancer from home, so I’ve most likely been their only exposure in the last few weeks. Unless they went out when I was out training. But that couldn’t be true since we went through our last exposures in case contact tracing needed to contact us. But they could have forgotten easily. Please, please, please… _

A second buzz. Sakusa wasn’t sure if he could remember how to breathe as he waited for a follow-up tone.

There was none.

Tears started wetting Sakusa’s hands. Removing his hands from his face, he threw himself over the back of his chair as he pressed his hands together into prayer hands, eyes screwed tight shut as tears streamed down his cheeks. He wasn’t the religious type, but he made a mental note to leave an incense out every night for the remainder of his quarantine.

“Thank you.” He wasn’t sure who he was mumbling his thanks to as he wiped away the stray tears from his cheeks.

One part lemongrass, one part jiaogulan, one part honeysuckle, one part hibiscus, one part Siberian ginseng, one part mulberry leaves, one part rosemary, and a pinch of peppermint. The tea recipe he had memorized like the back of his hand since your third year of middle school. A tea brew that practically helped you out of your nastiest flare-ups in less than a day. The eight ingredients Sakusa was  _ never  _ short on.

Boil the tea, dump the water out so the glass tea kettle could be properly warmed, place the ingredients in, re-add the boiling water, steep the tea for five minutes, pour it into a cup. Practically a part of his routine now, a routine he couldn’t complain about. Mixing the herbs together, he could practically feel the stress of the morning already draining away. His stress skyrocketed once again when he suddenly felt two arms wrapping around his waist.

“... You should be resting, [F/N].”

“But I miss you.” Fatigue filled your raw voice as you spoke.

“But I never left the house.”

“I know, but I still miss you, Kiyoomi.”

“... It’s-.”

“Negative. I know, I checked. And I let Motoya know since you were stressed all morning.”

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he realized he had forgotten to update his cousin on it. He probably wouldn’t hear the end of it. Nevertheless, he was happy to hear you had already updated on his cousin on the situation.

“... Honey?”

“Yes, Omi?”

“Ah, I mean, do you want any honey in your tea.”

A small chuckle escaped your lips, earning a thin smile from Sakusa. “Whoops. Yeah, the usual amount.”

A small hum of acknowledgement came from Sakusa as he plopped the honey into your tea, stirring it quietly while putting the herbal ingredients away, placing the dishes in the dishwasher, and disinfecting the counter. Not the  _ easiest  _ feat when you were clung to his waist from behind.

“Here, let it cool down.” Almost before he could finish his statement, Sakusa watched as you chugged the tea down in a single gulp. A trick you had picked up at college. “Or not.”

You giggled at your fiance’s quiet defeated tone of voice as you passed the tea back to him. “Hey, since we’re both negative, can we cuddle for a bit and watch a movie? I’ve been missing you.”

“ _ Only  _ cuddling.” Another giggle escaped your lips as Sakusa turned around to wash your cup. “Great British Baking Show?”

“ _ Always. _ ” 

If you weren’t in so much pain, Sakusa would have watched you practically skip back to the living room. But now, you were waddling back to the living room. For a moment, Sakusa thought about picking you up and putting you on the couch. But he knew you were in too much pain to be handled like that, so he strode into the living room and plopped down on the couch, stretching out as he invited you onto his chest.

The added benefit of having Sakusa as a fiance was practically having a heated blanket wherever you went. You quickly found yourself curling up on Sakusa’s chest, forehead pressed into his neck. Instead of wrapping his hand around your shoulder, he placed a hand over your forehead, sighing heavily as he noted your fever had gone down.

Sakusa bit the inside of his cheek as he thought, mindlessly watching the Great British Baking Show. This didn’t go unnoticed by you as you perked your head up to look at him.

“What’s on your mind, sweetie?” Your head tilted in concern as you spoke.

A sigh escaped from Sakusa’s lips. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer to what was on his mind given how important it was to him. “Do…. Do you remember what you said to me in primary school? That day you came over to help me with English?”

“When you asked me why I was helping you so much?”

Sakusa’s breath caught in his chest as he realized you  _ did  _ remember. “... Yes.”

Realizing just how nervous he was, you giggled quietly as you settled back down onto his chest. “Of course I do. Why do you ask?”

“No reason. I was just wondering.”

A small hum escaped from your chest as you kissed his hand. You knew it meant a lot to him, and you placed it in the back of your mind as something to possibly incorporate into your wedding. Of course, it would be a few months or perhaps never that Sakusa would admit to it.

“Love you, Omi.” You mumbled as you felt your eyes falling shut again.

Sakusa pressed his lips onto your forehead, taking your familiar smell he had learned to considered home. “Always and forever.”

“Mhm. Always and forever.”

\----

**Extra**

_ MSBY Group Chat _

_ A: WHO IS SAKUSA’S FIANCE _

_ A: WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN _

_ M: [L/N]? I met them when Sakusa was coming to visit for training camp before we signed him. Absolutely lovely. _

_ H: Oh! They always bring Bokuto and I food when they visit for practices! _

_ S: They did some freelance work for me a while back. One of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. _

_ T: They’ve been helping me with my Japanese. _

_ O: I usually have them check over my sponsorship contracts just to make sure there’s nothing I missed. They’ve actually negotiated a better contract for me a couple of times! _

_ A: OI _

_ A: SAKUSA _

_ A: HAVE U BEEN KEEPING UR FIANCE AWAY FROM ME _

_ KS: Yes. _

_ A: U BETTER INTRODUCE ME _

_ KS: No. _


	5. Promo Pictures (Sakusa Kiyoomi x reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You convince your husband to take part in the Olympic's promotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah yeah, i know the photos released were to promote the manga and not the Japanese Olympics, but whatever. just go with it for me.
> 
> coming up next is either Kuroo or Aran!
> 
> cw: none that apply

“Come on, Kiyoomi, it would be adorable! And you don’t have to leave the house!”

“No. It’s ridiculous.”

“Ugh, _come on_ . Motoya is _so_ excited about it too!”

“ _No._ ”

You were going on about half an hour of arguing with Sakusa at this point. Almost all of the players on Team Japan had done promotional pictures for the Olympics with one of their former high school teammates and friends. Komori had insisted that he and Sakusa do a picture together. Of course, Sakusa wouldn’t be caught _dead_ going out for such an unnecessary errand, so Komori proposed he do it over zoom and Hinata would hold the laptop.

Despite all these accommodations, Sakusa still sat across from you at the dining table, arms crossed over his chest as he squinted at your pathetic pouting face.

Two weeks had passed since the COVID scare, and you were already back on your feet and a month ahead on your freelance work. Thankfully, only one other person ended up contracting COVID from Atsumu, and he managed to make a full recovery at home without any major interventions. Training went back to normal, now with amped up precautions and the athletic trainer yelling at everyone to stay healthy. Everyone was being tested every week, fevers taken, symptoms monitored.

All except for one person. Your fiance, who ended up purchasing home workout equipment and converting your spare room into a workout room. He simply _refused_ to attend in-person workouts at the gym, even with all the precautions that were put in place. “ _Too much of a risk_ ,” he told his trainer over a Zoom call as he unloaded his workout equipment, _“I can’t risk getting my fiance sick.”_ It took quite a lot of convincing, but after telling the team that you were immunocompromised and high risk for COVID, the plan was signed and approved in less than a day.

You were shocked when you realized that you could, in fact, love your future husband even more.

Groceries? A once weekly trip for Sakusa, followed by him spraying everything down, cleaning the vegetables, and immediately showering and washing his clothes once he put away anything. Cravings? At this point, the delivery person for Onigiri Miya’s was on a first name basis with you. Prescriptions, pharmacy runs? No matter how long his meetings and training were that day, he would be out in a heartbeat. No complaints, no whining.

His rituals meant for him suddenly became rituals for you, and there was nothing more soothing than hearing the running shower when he got home from running errands for you. It was a pure expression of love, one that you wouldn’t trade the world for.

“Fine. I’ll do it. But it’s my day off and I’m not getting out of my sweats.”

Your eyes lit up and you shot up out of your chair, rushing to the bedroom. “Perfect! I’ll get everything set up for you!”

No complaint escaped Sakusa’s lips as he stared at the picture he had taken of you while you were staring off into space, a half-lidded gaze filled with adoration, lips curled up into a small smile as you rested your chin on your hand. A gaze he knew was all for him. He knew you hadn’t even noticed him snap the picture, now his lockscreen and wallpaper. A thin smile drawn on his lips, a content warmth spreading through his chest, Sakusa casually strolled into the back bedroom.

“You know, we should get some plants or pictures in here or something,” you huffed as you rushed around the room, smoothing out any wrinkles on the bed. “It’s kinda bland. Oh, who was your teammate that was really into plants? A…”

“Aran?”

“Yeah, Aran!” You snatched Sakusa’s wrist, leading him into the middle of the room. “We should ask him what are some good starter plants… Ah.” You squinted at the screen. You already knew that this would require some adjustments with your boyfriend’s height. ”Let’s see…. Would you mind if I use some of your old textbooks to prop the laptop up on?”

“Of course, go ahead.” Sakusa didn’t _mean_ to come across as indifferent with what he was saying. Honestly, he was looking at the bed and thinking about curling up around you while watching a show on Netflix.

Like an elf making Christmas toys the day before Christmas, you quickly made a makeshift laptop stand propped up by Sakusa’s old college textbooks, adjusting Sakusa’s positioning every so often.

“And… Perfect. Oh!” You grabbed at the bottom of Sakusa’s hoodie, pulling it down ever so slightly to cover up a logo on his pants. “Can’t have that showing now, can we?”

Before you could pull yourself away to get out of the room, you found Sakusa’s hands grasping both sides of your face, turning your eyes towards his own as he ran his thumbs over your cheekbones. Half-lidded dark eyes filled with raw, unfiltered adoration as he pressed his forehead on yours, rubbing the tips of your noses together. Seven years and he still looked at you like you were some heavenly being bestowed onto him. When he struggled to say ‘ _I love you’_ , you knew his eyes were doing all the talking.

“Oh, Omi-san! [L/N]-chan!”

Your tender moment was quickly interrupted by a living tangerine dressed in a Santa costume. Sakusa quickly pulled away glaring at the screen as both Komori and Hinata greened widely and waved at the both of you.

“Oh, Hinata-kun, hello! And hello Motoya!” You waved at the screen, returning the energetic smile given to you.

“Ohhh, is that your engagement ring, [L/N]-chan? It’s so pretty!” Hinata’s eyes widened as he pushed himself toward the screen, earning a muffled _‘hey!’_ from Komori.

You giggled, pushing the ring towards the camera to allow Hinata a better look. “It is! I usually don’t wear it out and about since I’m so scared of losing it.”

Hinata’s laugh somehow managed to echo in your own room. “Yeah, I’d definitely lose an engagement ring like that. Oh, are you ready Omi-kun?”

With that, you waved your good-byes and stepped out of the room. A faint buzzing in your pocket caught your attention.

_K: Hey, I got these pictures of you and Kiyoomi together. I thought you’d like them. :)_

_[pictures attached]_

_[Y/N]: Oh my god, thank you so much, Motoya! These look so good! I’ll have to show Kiyoomi._

On the screen in front of you were three different pictures, each slightly different than the other. You leaned against the hallway door, taking in all three. It didn’t take Cupid to tell people that you were disgustingly in love with each other, your gazes both full of pure adoration as you stared at each other. Warmth spread throughout your body as a childish grin grew on your face, happy tears bubbling in the corner of your eyes. Fuck, you were so stupidly in-love with Sakusa. And you were _going to be married and spending the rest of your life with him._ You wiped away the tears now streaming down your face as you settled on your favorite and made it your lock screen.

“Dear?”

You turned your attention up to Sakusa, who was standing in the doorway to the bedroom, staring at you.

“Sorry…. I just remembered we’re getting married soon and started crying. Look at these pictures Komori sent me of us!” You shoved the screen into Sakusa’s face as he squinted at the pictures.

“... Could you send those to me?”

“Of cou-AH!” You could barely finish your sentence before you were scooped up into Sakusa’s arms and plopped onto the bed. “Oof, you could have warned me, at least.”

“We’re having a lazy day,” Sakusa declared as he pulled the comforter back, scooting in next to you as he pressed his lips to your forehead. “We can sleep, watch Netflix, do whatever. But I’m not leaving this bed until dinner time.”

A hum of approval left your mouth as you stretched out on the bed, throwing your arm open as Sakusa curled up on your chest, resting his forehead on your neck. Immediately, you started carding your fingers through his hair, earning a content sigh as he tangled his legs with yours and threw his arm over your waist. “I’m definitely not complaining. What do you want to do for supper?”

“Lazy day first.”

You giggled, pressing a chaste kiss into the top of his head. “That’s fair. I’ll probably nap.”

Much to your word, you were out in less than five minutes and lightly snoring. Sleep came harder for Sakusa as he stared at his new lockscreen, processing that he was achieving his middle school dreams of drowning in your adoring gaze for the rest of his life.

\-----

**Extra:**

_S: Waxflower or baby’s breath?_

_K: What?_

_S: For the wedding. What should we do? [F/N] likes both._

_K: So why not do both? Or would that be too expensive?_

_S: It doesn’t matter how much it is._

_K: Awww. Are you getting them from that shop in Miyagi?_

_S: Yes._

_K: The florist there is amazing. I get bouquets for my partner at their Tokyo branch._

_K: Oh! I forgot! If you do the Miyagi branch, talk to Iwaizumi. One of his former teammate’s partner runs the shop up there. He could probably get you a discount!_

_S: Thank you._

_S: Can you frame dried baby’s breath and waxflowers?_

_K: Ummm, I think you can? I would ask Kiryu about that. I know he likes to press flowers he picks on hikes with his partner._

_S: (thumbs up emoji)_

_S: Oh, and thank you for the pictures. They’re [F/N]’s new lockscreen._

_K: If you don’t have your wedding soon, I am going to actually explode._

_K: Please budget for tissues. I’m going to cry a lot._


	6. Kaitenzushi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo and you go on a sushi date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, i am so v sorry about how late this is. school started back up and i got busy, but i'm hoping to get this on a weekly schedule once i sit down and figure out my school schedule!
> 
> might make a one-shot based off of reader's first date with kuroo bc i most definitely fall in love with men like kuroo in real life lmao. we'll have to see what my schedule looks like!
> 
> cw: mentions of children, nothing explicit, reader is still gender-neutral

“The JVA will provide the equipment for what you need at your home.” Kuroo’s supervisor’s voice droned on in the background over the Zoom call as he sat at his desk, fidgeting anxiously with his pen. “Please fill out the requisition form and turn it in before the end of tomorrow. If you need to upgrade your internet access, add that to your requisition form and we will cover the extra charges for it. Any questions?”

Silence fell over the call, impatient faces dotting the screen as everyone watched the clock slowly turn to five o’clock. Anyone who seemed like they wanted to ask a question was met with various glares, everyone looking every which way since no one’s screen quite matched. Kuroo had to hold back a quiet snicker to himself as he watched the various glares in random directions, including directed at high ranking executives.

“Once quarantined athletes return from their two week isolation period, you will still be working from home. Our gym facilities are still available for your use, but we are currently in the process of developing policies to ensure everyone’s health and safety. These policies will be released in the upcoming week as we meet with public health officials.” The executive cleared his throat, bowing slightly. “We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. If there are no more questions, then we shall conclude this meeting.”

A chorus of thank-yous and good-byes echoed throughout the zoom call, some delayed and some robotic sounding.  _ Someone needs a new microphone _ , Kuroo thought as he said his good-byes, exiting the Zoom meeting and pinching the bridge of his nose.

It had been, what, how many days since Atsumu had contracted COVID? Three days? Did time exist at this point anymore? Out of an abundance of precaution, even those who hadn’t been in direct contact with Atsumu ( _ including  _ members of the JVA) had been sent to work from home as executives fleshed out a response plan to the positive COVID test. Not only was it a health and safety measure, but it also doubled somewhat as a publicity stunt. To show just  _ how  _ seriously the JVA was taking COVID during the Olympics. 

Kuroo couldn’t complain, really. Your shared apartment had a spare room that was quickly converted into an office and, thanks to the famous Kodzuken, he was hooked up with decent enough workstation set-up to get his work done. 

Sadly, he hadn’t thought to purchase workout equipment for his home because, well, what was the point when you had an Olympic gym you could stop by and use for free?

Back-to-back pops erupted from Kuroo’s back as he bent back in his chair, groaning loudly as the sounds echoed throughout the empty room. Yeesh, three days without working out and  _ this  _ was how stiff he got? He certainly  _ was  _ getting old. Standing only earned an exaggerated groan as he bent over, slowly stretching to touch his toes. The only true benefit of remote working was being able to wear his old Nekoma sweats, which were  _ far  _ too old and now a couple inches too short.  _ Hmm, maybe I could ask Coach Nekomata for a new pair _ , he thought as he went the other way, stretching his back out.

“Hey.” Kuroo almost fell backwards on himself as he stared at you in the doorway, volleyball in hand. “Teach me volleyball.”

\-----

You knew your boyfriend of six years like the back of your hand. His ticks, when he’s feeling agitated and stressed even when he doesn’t verbalize it, how to handle his emotions, who to call when he’s feeling especially down and you can’t get him out of his slump. 

Kuroo was a stubborn man, wanting to take care of you whenever you were down, but despite being together for six years, he still struggled to ask for reassurance and help from you when he was in a slump. Unfortunately, this tendency had gotten worse with his position at the JVA and with the development of the COVID-19 concern, you’d barely gotten any time with him to yourself.

And what was the most effective way to get him out his stressed, overworked slumps? Volleyball.

“Left!” He shouted, tossing the volleyball towards you as you jumped up to spike the ball over the net at the local volleyball court.

Volleyball wasn’t just your boyfriend’s job. It was his passion, the love of his life, the one thing that could turn his day from horrid to absolutely amazing. When you first met Kuroo, he had mentioned being a volleyball captain at his high school’s volleyball club. You asked him a genuine question about volleyball, being completely and embarrassingly clueless about the sport.

You didn’t expect to fall in love with him that night.

The two of you stayed up all night, watching his old tournaments and current games, him teaching you all the vocabulary, positions, terminology in the span of a night. Awkwardly, the two of you had fallen asleep on your dorm bed, an admittedly uncomfortable situation because of his massive size. Of course, the two of you didn’t start dating immediately. Kuroo went on a serial dating spree, getting himself into unhealthy relationships, breaking up with them after a few weeks or a few months. Each time, you were there to cheer him up with the most recent professional volleyball game, sitting in your room with him curled up on your chest as you ignored your budding feelings, being a good, supportive friend to one of your closest university friends.

One day, after a particularly rough break-up, you offhandedly mentioned something that you had learned in your psychology class about how self-harm isn’t strictly a physical thing, but it can also be an emotional thing, a financial thing, or a psychological thing. You hadn’t even thought about the implications, with Kuroo sitting right in front of you in the student lounge, but you found yourself on a date with him within the next week, kissing underneath the sunset like some cheesy romantic movie.

You realized on that date how absolutely fucking stupid you had been to ignore your feelings the entire time.

“Got it!” You shouted, leaping into the air to spike the ball. 

Thank god the ball got over the net. Unfortunately for you, your jumping momentum found you tilting left, gravity taking over and pulling you down to the ground.

“[F/N!]”

Kuroo’s name barely registered before you found yourself tumbling to the ground, falling onto your boyfriend’s chest with a loud  _ oof _ . You laid there for a moment, reorienting yourself before realizing what just had happened, and pushing your face up to see Kuroo’s eyes closed, hair now a dusty mess. Your eyes flung open as you shook your boyfriend.

“Tetsu… Come on, Tetsu,  _ please  _ open your eyes.” Panic started edging at your voice as he continued to not respond, eyes screwed shut. “Please, oh my god, I killed my boyfriend.”

An abrupt snort escaped your boyfriend’s mouth, followed by his obnoxious cackle as he pulled you down into a tight hug. A heavy sigh escaped your chest as you found yourself squished against his chest. You wondered if he knew how lucky he was that you couldn’t smack him.

“Oh my god Tetsu, you are the  _ absolute  _ worst.” 

“It’s been six years and you’re just  _ now  _ learning that?” A teasing lilt entered his voice as he sat up, taking you along with him as he pressed a kiss against your forehead. “You’re adorable, you know that, right?”

“Ugh,” you grumbled, finally looking your boyfriend in the eyes. Sometimes, you forgot how beautiful Kuroo’s eyes were, staring into them with loving adoration. Soft, comfortable, enamoring. A reminder of the man that you had fallen in love with.

You pecked him on the lips, giggling slightly as he pouted when you pulled back. The pout quickly disappeared as he wrapped his hand around the back of your head, pulling you into a deep, passionate kiss. You could just imagine the groups of elderly couples walking around the block gagging at the public display of affection.

After a moment, you pulled away, pressing your head against Kuroo’s forehead. “Sushi night?”

\-----

“Winner, winner, winner!” The system erupted loudly, lights blazing as Kuroo slipped his plate into the receptacle, not even paying attention to the prize as he stared at you, completely enamored and oblivious to his surroundings.

All around your booth, the small kaitenzushi was packed to the brim (well, not  _ quite  _ full, given the COVID regulations) with business people relaxing after work and couples chattering their night away. Dim lights accented the vague smell of beer and cigarette smoke, orders being shouted out by the chefs behind the sushi conveyor. The place was practically a second home for you and Kuroo, a little getaway you two had established on your first official date. It was cheap, good for its price point, and the waiters knew you two by name.

“Look, I’m just saying.” Kuroo’s eyes smiled at you as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand, completely enamored as you went on one of your infamous tangents. “Who looks at a child and names him Harvey? And Clint? Those aren’t kids' names! That’s like…. That’s like a grown adult name!”

Kuroo’s cackle echoed through the restaurant, earning a few annoyed stares from a couple across the way from you. Kenma had introduced you to Stardew Valley recently, a game his own partner had gotten him into, to help you deal with the stress of the pandemic. And now, you were going on one of your rants, this time about the names picked for the characters in the game.

“So what  _ is  _ a good kid’s name?” Kuroo inquired, grabbing another plate of sushi off the conveyor belt. “In your opinion, anyway?”

“Hmm….” You tapped your chopsticks to your chin, looking thoughtful for a moment. “I’ve always liked floral names, to be honest. Yanagi, Umeto, Tsuzura…”

“Belladona?” Kuroo asked, shoving a piece of sushi into his mouth.

“First, chew with your mouth closed, it’s disrespectful.” You scolded, slipping your empty plate into the receptacle and grabbing another from the conveyor belt. “Second, we are  _ not  _ naming our kid after a poisonous flower. So veto that.”

“Oya?”

Confusion flooded your face at first until you realized just  _ what  _ you had said. Slumping into the chair, your hands quickly found your face as you groaned out in embarrassment, something that Kuroo was thankful for, for once. Most days, he would have grabbed your hands away from your face, pebbling your face with kisses to hear your giggles and laugh, getting you out of your embarrassment. But now? Something gripped at his chest, the butterflies he thought had left a  _ long  _ time ago once again returning.

_ Our  _ kid.

Tears started brimming his eyes, Kuroo wiping away a stray tear with his hand as he stared at your embarrassed form. Damn, crying in a cheap sushi restaurant of all places? And without even finishing a beer? That wasn’t what he was expecting tonight. 

“I’ve always liked Ume for a name. Gender neutral so it isn’t too much to think about.” Kuroo finally piped upt, trying to bury the voice crack by clearing his throat. “Sorry, rice stuck in my throat.” He stretched his back out and yawned, hoping to convince you that he  _ wasn’t  _ crying at the suggestion of raising children with you. After all, it  _ could  _ have been a slip-up, given that he hadn’t even popped the big question yet.

Your hands slowly moved away from your face, but you still didn’t make eye contact as you pushed yourself back up to the table. Once again, Kuroo found himself thankful for your stubbornness.

“If we name our kid plum, I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about ‘The Promised Neverland’.” 

Another cackle erupted from Kuroo. “I think you may need to stop watching that show, dear.” Another plate slipped into the receptacle, another prize bumping into the previous one. “Sounds like it’s distorting your perspective on things.”

“Gah, Tetsu!” Now you were glaring at your long-term boyfriend, face scrunched up in displeasure. “You’re awful! I just….” You purse your lips together, thinking about a come back. “... Damn it, I got nothing… Anyway, sorry about saying ‘we’. It just kinda slipped out.”

Kuroo sighed heavily, taking your free hand in his as he ran his thumb over yours. “I’m not upset, at all. I…”  _ Don’t cry, damn it. _ “I really want that, um… I just…”  _ Damn it. _ Tears welled up in the corner of his eyes as he took a shaky breath in. “Damn it, I was doing  _ so  _ well too.”

A light giggle escaped your lips as you leaned forward, rubbing a tear away from his cheek. He could die in your gaze, the enamored look you gave him his safe haven. Anytime something looked wrong, all he had to do was look at you and imagine your future together. Kuroo grabbed onto your free hand, pressing into your palm as you settled back down.

“Promise me we’ll name our daughter Sakura. Please.”

“God fucking damn it, [F/N].” Kuroo ripped away from your hands, pushing back into his chair as he looked up at the ceiling, trying to avoid eye contact as he blinked hard. It wasn’t enough to stop tears from slipping down his face.

Six years ago, you two had started dating. But Kuroo had fallen in love with you  _ much  _ earlier. You had met on your college orientation day, immediately clicking like one of those cheesy romance movies the two of you watched together freshman year. But Kuroo was  _ scared _ , didn’t want to ruin his friendship with you, keeping you at arm's length like he did with all his crushes. He dated around, becoming a well-known serial dater and heartbreaker at college as he tried to bury his feelings for one of his closest friends. What made it all worse, is he dated people he wanted to try to fix, help improve their life, people who took advantage of him. All to dig himself in a hole and ignore his feelings for you.

Then one day, after another rough break-up, you sat down in the student lounge with him and talked about how knowingly getting into unhealthy relationships was a form of self-harm, and it all just sort of clicked with him. Without thinking, he got you tickets to the upcoming cherry blossom festival, the one you had been talking about for  _ weeks, _ but just hadn't been able to afford tickets after all your bills had been paid. And then, just like a tacky romance movie, he kissed you underneath the cherry blossom trees as the sun set over the horizon.

_ Sakura. _

Kuroo leaned back over the table, placing his chin in a hand and grabbed your hand as his eyes reddened, sniffling quietly at the request.

“Yeah, that’s a good name. I like it.” He finally managed to choke out, grabbing his last piece of sushi with his chopsticks and shoving it up to your lips. “I’m gonna choke if I eat this.”

A light giggle escaped your lips as you chomped down on the piece of sushi, Kuroo pressing the chopsticks to your lips as he pulled your hand up to look at it. “We should go engagement ring shopping this weekend. You know, before lockdowns really hit.”

It was your term to choke on the sushi as you jutted your bottom lip out, pouting pathetically at your boyfriend. “Tetsuuuuuuu,” you whined, looking up with those big puppy eyes. “You can’t just pull that on me without any warning!”

Kuroo hummed in disapproval, tapping your bottom lip with his chopsticks scoldingly. “Ah, what did you say to me earlier? It’s rude to talk with your mouth full.” Resting his chopsticks on his plate, he moved to pick up the prizes that you two had ignored beforehand. “Besides, we were  _ literally  _ just talking about our future kids’ names. That’s a  _ bit  _ bigger than going engagement ring shopping.”

You awkwardly bobbed your head, realizing there was no room for disagreement with that statement as you popped the last of your plates into the receptacle. “I guess you’re right. Ugh, I hate when I can’t disagree with you.”

Suddenly, Kuroo was doubled over in his chair laughing, tears streaming down his face as he opened the two prize capsules. Numerous groups at the restaurant stared at him, equal faces concerned and equal faces annoyed. 

“Look, look.” Yanking your hand, Kuroo unceremoniously threw on a piece of paper onto your ring paper. One of those free paper rings sat on your ring finger, and another was quickly tossed into your free hand. “I got your engagement ring right here, babe.”

Now it was your turn to burst into laughter, tears streaming down your face and snorts erupting from your chest as you slipped the second ring onto your now fiancee’s empty ring finger. God, you were obnoxious and for a moment, you were incredibly thankful you knew the wait staff so well or else you would have been thrown out right then and there. As you settled down, clutching your stomach from laughter, you watched with loving eyes as your future husband followed suit, imagining that laughter echoing through the halls of your house as he chased after your children. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you hoped one of your children would catch onto his laugh, and you would get to hear two of his maniacal cackles.

“So,” Kuroo started, voice hoarse and choked from laughing so hard. “You, uh, you want to see if we can get a free engagement.”

“Abso- _ fucking _ -lutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: i was supposed to go to korea this year for a study abroad and i was really looking forward to going to a kaitzensushi when i visited japan. i don't even like sushi and technically can't eat it bc i'm immunocompromised, but i really like the vibe of all the ones that i've seen in travel shows.


	7. Vanilla Bean (Komori Motoya x reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Komori helps you calm down from an anxiety attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> komori is just such a comforting, wholesome character, ya know? i wish he had more time in the manga, especially with his interactions with kageyama. also, i lied. aran chapter will be up sometime this week since i'm gonna have loads of snow days from the weather.
> 
> cw: descriptions of anxiety attack
> 
> cross-posted on aquastellium on tumblr

You don’t know when it hit you or what exactly had triggered it. One second, you were sitting in the living room, watching the news about COVID-19 hitting Japan, reading the text message threads for your boyfriend about the COVID test results for his coworkers and teammates. Negative, negative, one positive symptomatic, negative, negative. The next minute, you found yourself curled up on the bathroom floor, heart pounding, sweat dripping down your forehead as you found yourself in the throes of an anxiety attack.

Back pressed against the bathroom wall, knees pressed against your chest, you found yourself mentally trying to count down from 100 over and over again. A hard task by itself, and even harder one when you felt like you were thinking everything all at once and simultaneously nothing. Images from the most recent news cycle flooded through your head, headlines from China about their death toll. Unknown virus, epidemic, shutting down the government. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you heard your conscious thoughts screaming.  _ Stop, stop, stop, stop, STOP. _

“Bean, I’m back!”

Komori’s voice echoed through your apartment, a blessing as your attention was brought back to your surroundings. You found yourself trying to regulate your breathing again, taking deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, counting silently to yourself as you breathed out. Focusing on your heart beat, you willed your pounding heart to steady itself in your chest. Techniques from your therapist in high school came flooding back to you, your head popping up as you let out a deep breath. Eyes screwed shut, you focused back in on your breathing, unaware of the bathroom door quietly opening.

“Bean, do you think you could name five things you can see?” Soft, gentle. You almost didn’t hear Komori speak as he stepped into the bathroom, sitting down in front of you as he pressed his back against the bathroom sink. “Or is that just a bit too much for you right now?”

Holding a single finger up, you took a deep breath as you opened your eyes, blinded by the fluorescent overhead light. Too much. You didn’t need to say anything as Komori flipped the light switch off, sitting back down with a dramatic  _ oof _ . You opened your eyes back up, the only light coming into the bathroom the ambient light from the other rooms.

Shakily, you let out a breath as you looked around. “Ummm, the shampoo bottle, you…” Komori shifted himself towards you, wiggling his head in between your knees and resting his head on your stomach, earning a soft giggle from you. “The plant in the hallway, the toilet, and… um… the body wash?”

A content hum escaped Komori’s lips as he took your hand and placed it in his hair. “4 things you can feel?”

Thankful for his forced distraction, you carded your fingers through his hair. “Your hair, the rug I’m sitting on, the tile floor, and my clothes.” His finger pressed your nose, a soft giggle escaping your lips. “We still need to replace that rug. It’s nasty.”

“Yep, but that’s for a different time. 3 things you can hear?”

“You, the heater, and the traffic outside.”

“Yep! Two things you can smell?”

“Your vanilla cologne and… peppermint?”

Leaning up, Komori pressed a delicate peck on your lips. “And one thing you can taste?”

“Peppermint gum.”

Gently flicking the tip of your nose again, Komori settled back down on your lap, wrapping his arms around your legs and forcing you to stretch them out around him. “You doing better? I’m sorry I couldn’t get here earlier.”

Nodding, you brought your legs to his hands, intertwining your fingers with his as he rested your hands on his stomach. “I’m doing better.” A heavy sigh escaped your lips as you looked up and away from your boyfriend, embarrassment growing on your face. “I’m sorry you had to take care of me again. I’ve been in therapy for…. Six years? And I still can barely take care of myself.”

Komori’s soft eyes quickly turned to a look of alarm as his eyebrows raised and his eyes widened, grabbing both sides of your face with his hands as he forced you to look at him. “I didn’t say anything, did I, bean? I’m so so  _ so  _ sorry if I did, I’ll-”

Sighing heavily, you shook your head at Komori’s response. “No, Momo, you didn’t… I just, my brain is being mean again. I think I need to talk about upping my anxiety meds dosage with the pandemic.”

Your boyfriend’s facial expression softened as he squished your cheeks together, laughter echoing in the bathroom as you playfully batted away his hands. “Okay, good. Like, you’ve met my cousin, right? I’m  _ always  _ prepared to help you through whatever you;re dealing with.” Despite batting his hands away, you found him pulling your face down into a kiss, blowing a raspberry on your cheek before settling back down on your stomach. “Oh, speaking of Omi, they’ve picked out a wedding venue!”

Whipping out his phone, a sense of warmth and peace washed over you, memories of your relationship flooding over you, chasing away any remaining morning anxiety and dread. You were a part of Itachiyama’s cheer squad and pep band, having an embarrassing anxiety attack at a competition when Komori found you and ran over to you. Up until that point, you had never interacted with any of the volleyball players so to see one of them run up to you and comfort you without any question. The two of you clicked immediately, like you were just two best friends catching up after not seeing each other for years. He challenged your anxieties, never pushing you to make you uncomfortable, but always making sure to extend invitations out to you. His team suddenly became your team, becoming close friends with his teammates and his cousin, the number one ace Sakusa. 

Your relationship changed one day when you mentioned to Komori how much you liked his cologne and how comforting it was. Sweet, a vanilla bean smell that reminded you of fresh baked cookies. At first, you thought you had ruined your relationship with the look he had on his face when you said that, but you found yourself giggling as he stammered out ‘c-can I call you bean? Or, uh, partner? Can we date? Would you be cool with that? I, shit, sorry, I was hoping to make this more special!’ In a matter of seconds your cool, composed friend was a blushing mess as he refused to make eye contact with you, immediately tackling you with a flying hug when you said yes. The memory of your breath leaving your lungs from that hug was still fresh in your memory to this day.

“So, they decided on Yokohama Geihenkan here in Tokyo. They’re renting out the entire place… oops, stop texting me!” Looking at the pictures of the garden, you barely even registered the text that Sakusa had sent Komori. “It’s a really pretty venue! Oh, you know Iwaizumi, the trainer for the Olympic team, right?” Nodding along, you watched your boyfriend flip through his numerous tabs, opening up a webpage from a local floral shop. “One of his high school teammate’s partner owns the shop. It’s actually the place I get you flowers from! Their floral arrangements are  _ beautiful  _ and Kiyoomi is planning on drying the flowers for guests.”

A smile graced your lips as you listened to Komori chattering about his cousin’s wedding, showing venue pictures and floral arrangements and wedding themes. Deep in your mind, you feel a longing for that feeling. Wedding planning, floral arrangements, looking at wedding themes. All of it, you longed for. Six years of dating, and you couldn’t ask for more from your boyfriend, but you knew that you wanted more. But you were  _ terrified  _ of him saying no, and you weren’t sure if you would be able to recover if he  _ did  _ say no.

“Hey.” Once again, you found your boyfriend squishing your cheeks, this time with a single hand. “You mind if we move to the bedroom? My butt kinda hurts.”

At that mention, you realized just how much your butt was hurting from sitting on the bathroom floor, and you quickly nodded. Groaning dramatically like he was an old man and not an Olympic athlete, Komori lifted himself up and off of you, helping you stand as soon as he was up. Never once did his hand leave your waist as he guided you to your shared bedroom, where he let yourself get comfy before wrapping himself around you, resting his chin on top of your head. Within seconds, you were asleep, just like Komori knew you would be. It had been a pattern for the last six years, one he knew well when you did have anxiety attacks. 

Opening his phone back up, reassured you were asleep in his arms, Komori glanced at the text message his cousin had sent back to him, a silly, excited grin on his face.

_ K: Hey Kiyoomi, I understand if this is inappropriate of me to ask, but would you mind if I propose to [F/N] at your wedding? _

_ K: I know it’s your day, so I respect your decision if you’re not comfortable with it. _

_ S: Of course you can. No was never an answer. _

_ S: Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help. We’ve still got a budget that can accommodate any wants you may have. _

A childlike grin slapped on his face, Komori wrapped himself around you even tighter, shutting his phone off as he pressed his lips into your hair. Maybe, just maybe, he won’t be a stammering, stuttering mess with this confession.


	8. Fiddle Leaf Fig (Aran Ojiro x Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You just wanted a fiddle leaf fig.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk what got me stuck on the idea that aran is a really good plant dad, but that's been sitting on my mind for like a month now. also, if you notice, i've had to cut back to the character list due to college starting back up. if i have the time and motivation, i'll try to add those characters back in!
> 
> next week: osamu and a surprise character!
> 
> cw: none apply
> 
> also, i have no idea what plant prices look in japan. i know that chinese money plant and fiddle leaf figs are pretty damn expensive here in america (speaking from personal experience), so i kinda just doubled the price that i've paid in the past for them

Fiddle leaf fig. 

Here you were, trudging through the Tokyo winter, masked up in the middle of a pandemic at five in the morning for a fiddle leaf fig you had seen at the local nursery. To an outsider, you would have looked like a freak, bundled up just for a plant. But for you and your boyfriend of one year, that plant meant  _ everything  _ to your relationship.

It was roughly a year and a half ago when you first met Aran, working at a local greenhouse to pay off your college expenses and have a roof over your head. Your granny had been the first to get you invested in plants, showing you the seasons to plant fresh veggies and herbs, when to water your plants and when to let them dry out. What the best soil was, how to avoid root rot. You learned it all, and you’ve never once had a plant die on your watch. So when you first saw Aran walk into the greenhouse, wide eyed and seemingly terrified of all the plants surrounding him, you let out a little giggle and wandered on over to help the poor new plant parent.

Developing a crush on him was almost a given, with his polite, kind nature and an easy smile. He nervously stammered out that his old high school volleyball captain had given him a bonsai sapling, a sapling from a plant that had been passed down in his family for generations. A congratulatory gift for him getting onto the Olympics volleyball team, you would later learn. You didn’t have much experience with bonsai saplings, especially ones that come from multiple generations, but you gave him the basic lowdown of how to take care of bonsais. It warmed your heart to see him taking notes on his phone, listening tentatively to every word you said like it was a gospel.

You cursed yourself for not asking for his number that day. Two weeks went by before you saw Aran again, the man bringing in a list of plants he had extensively researched. His ‘dream plant list’, he called it. As if you couldn’t fall for this man anymore. Thankfully for you, Aran had showed up closer to closing time, meaning you spent about two hours talking to him about his plant list and your own personal plant list. Innocently, he asked you if you would want to come home with him for the night and show him where he should put his plants in his apartment. After that night, the rest was history.

Well, it wasn’t  _ actually  _ history. He was too nervous to officially ask you out, and it took about three or four months for him to get the courage to ask you out.

And so comes the story of the fiddle leaf fig. You had managed to cross off  _ every  _ dream plant, moving your own personal collection in with Aran’s after the two of you decided to move in together. The only plant left on your list was a fiddle leaf fig tree, an overall rare plant that is  _ very  _ rarely sold in Japan. So when you saw the plant listed on a local greenhouse page, you just  _ knew  _ you had to be the first person there to get it.

Much to your surprise, the greenhouse was already open, even if you were about thirty minutes early to their normal opening time. You opened the door, a blast of warm humidity that you so loved greeting you as you stepped in. You quickly scanned the greenhouse, noting the tired looking teenage cashier. Panic started to set in as you realized you didn’t see the treasure you had stopped in for, walking towards the cashier.

“Hi, um, I saw a listing for a fiddle leaf fig tree here.” Dread settled into your stomach. You didn’t like the look the cashier was giving you. “Do you… Happen to still have it?”

The cashier solemnly shook her head. “I’m sorry, we had someone reserve it immediately after it was posted and pick it up about thirty minutes ago. Would you like me to put you on a sign-up list for the next one?”

A heavy sigh escaped your lips, shoulders drooping slightly. In all honesty, you should have expected it. “No, it’s fine. I’ll just--Oh my goodness, how much is the money plant?!”

Just  _ how  _ did you miss that massive Chinese money plant sitting in the corner of the greenhouse? Easily a foot tall in height, probably took a  _ year  _ to get that tall, lush, and dense. Had it been any other plant, you wouldn’t have given it a second glance. But just like you and your fiddle leaf fig tree, Aran had an incredibly hard to come by plant, and that was a massive Chinese money plant. And it had to be massive, like “it’s taken years to grow it and take care of it”, as he explained to you over breakfast one day.

Confused by your sudden outburst, the cashier looked down at a pricing list, grimacing at the price point of the plant. “Ummm, that will be 11000 yen. We have smaller...”

11000 yen. Roughly the same price for the fiddle leaf fig plant you had come for anyway. Like a child in a candy store, you spun back to the cashier, pulling your wallet out. “I’ll take it!”

At that point, you didn’t care about the slightly mortified look plastered on the cashier’s face as she counted out the yen. “Umm, that container is pretty big. We have a cart you can take if you bring it back to us.”

Shaking your hand, you bounced over to the plant, lifting it with ease. “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you for the offer, though!”

Although you didn’t want to admit it to yourself, you found yourself regretting not taking up the cashier’s offer for the cart. You were practically barreling through the crowds on your face home, unable to see the sidewalk and people walking in front of you. Some obscenities were thrown your way, a few people offering to help you. But you were stubborn, probably to a fault, and wanted to do it by yourself. After all, it  _ was _ a gift for your boyfriend, and you wanted to be the one to deliver it to him.

Out of breath, sweat dripping down your face, the feeling of acne popping up under your mask, you finally saw your shared apartment coming up on the horizon. “Thank god…” You mumbled to yourself, setting down the money plant to give yourself a chance to breathe. You didn’t see the car pull up behind you.

“... Babe?”

You practically jumped out of your screen at the voice of your boyfriend’s name, spinning around wide eyed as you watched Aran stick his head out the window of his car. It was like you had seen him for the first time, like you were two complete strangers on the street as you stared at him, eyes wide and jaw slack. Last night, he had told you that he had an early morning practice with the Olympics team, but here he was. At home. And not dressed for practice.

“What are you doing here, babe? I, uh, I thought you had practice.”

“I could ask the same thing. Well…” Aran paused for a moment, shutting his car off. “Not the, uh, practice part.”

“Um, well.” You rubbed the back of your neck, obscuring the plant you had picked up from his vision. “You know that greenhouse we really like? They had a fiddle leaf fig come in this morning, so I ran down there to see if it was still available.”

“Uh-huh.” You watched Aran step out of his car, opening the back door and crawling across the back seat to grab something.

“Someone already picked it up that morning, but…” You stepped aside, looking at the Chinese money plant. “They had this! So I got it for….”

Trailing off, you watched as Aran pulled out the fiddle leaf fig that the greenhouse had posted early that morning. Full, lush, healthy, carefully packaged. Your eyes widened as he sat the plant down on the sidewalk, his eyes widening in return when he noticed the plant you had picked up. An awkward silence fell on the two of you as you both processed what had  _ just  _ happened.

Aran’s snort of laughter was the first thing to break the silence, sending you into your own fit of laughter. Your boyfriend bent over, laughing loudly enough to earn a scolding from a nearby elderly neighbor. Of course, that only made you laugh louder, earning another scolding from the same elderly neighbor.

“What a mess  _ we  _ are,” Aran finally choked out after a fit of laughter, casually striding over to his new plant. “Damn, I was looking at this one too, but I could only fit the one plant. Here, you carry the fig tree and I’ll carry the money plant, deal?”

And so you spent the entire day, yet again rearranging your apartment for the two plants, laughing and giggling over the stupidest of jokes. A home full of happiness, laughter, and plants. Lots and lots of plants.


End file.
